Process of making counters



Jan. 12, 1937. c. w. B'AILEY 2,067,812

PROCESS OF MAKING COUNTERS Filed Aug. 30, 1935 I Fig.1.

Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF MAKINGCOUNTERS Charles W. Bailey,

Lynn, Mass.,

assignor to Stewart Bros., a copartnership consisting of John HammondStewart and Roland A.

Stewart, Lynn, Mass.

This invention relates to counter stifieners or counters for shoes andconsists in an improved product and a novel process of producing thesame. After the counter blank has been skived 5.: it is the practice tocrimp the straighter or lower edge of the blank in order to facilitatethe formation of the inturned heel seat flange in the molded counter. Inshort counters there is no objection to crimping the entire lower edgefrom 1 one end of the counter blank to the other, because the crimpedportion or zone of a short counter is all utilized in the flange. Inlong shank fitting counters, on the other hand, the forward corners ofthe counters are carried beyond the heel seat flange and extend anappreciable distance into the shank of the shoe. Under these conditionscrimped corrugations are not only unnecessary in the forward ends of thecounter, but they may be positively objectionable in that they tend toshow through the upper leather as a blemish in the otherwise smoothsurface of the shoe.

Various attempts have been made heretofore to obviate or minimize thistrouble, as for example, by swinging the counter blank as it enters andemerges from the rolls of the crimping machine. This reduces the widthof the crimped zone at both ends, but does not result in a uniformproduct and neither this nor any other of these expedients has proved tobe of commercial value.

The present invention solves the problem above discussed and makesavailable for the first time a shank fitting counter, adequately crimpedthroughout the curve of its inturned flange and having smoothly curveduncrimped ends adapted to be compactly incorporated in womens shoes ofthe finest workmanship and material without causing any surfaceirregularities.

In one aspect my invention consists in an improved counter blank skivedabout its margin and provided in its lower edge with a zone ofcorrugations terminating at a predetermined distance from each end ofthe blank and having smooth end portions projecting beyond thiscorrugated zone. In another aspect it comprises a molded counter madefrom such a blank and having a crimped inturned heel seat flange andforwardly extending uncorrugated ends, smoothly curved in conformity tothe shank curvature of the shoe in which it is to be used.

My invention includes within its scope a novel process of making theimproved counter of my invention, the process being characterized by thestep of skiving the margin of the blank, and then, while the skivedblank is gauged for the skiving operation, crimping its lower edge in azone of predetermined length and location.

In the manufacture of counters it has been customary to skive themarginal edges of the counter by passing the blank endwise betweenrolls, one of which is a matrix roll designed temporarily to distortsuccessive portions of the blank as it is advanced to a straight edgeknife. A continuous skiving is thus removed about the margin of theblank and this step imparts the desired tapered edge characteristic tothe counter. It is important to present the blank properly to the matrixroll for the skiving operation, and accurately to control the travel ofthe blank in passing therethrough. The presentation of the blank isusually effected by automatic feeding mechanism operating in timedrelation to the rotation of the matrix roll so that the proper portionof the irregular periphery of the roll shall always exactly engage thecorresponding area of the counter blank.

I propose to take advantage of these conditions by controlling thepresentation of the skived counter blank to the crimping mechanism andgoverning the location of the crimped zone in the counter by therotation of the matrix roll. In this way the crimped zone may be locatedin the counter with 22 high degree of accuracy and with completeassurance of uniformity of treatment in handling the product on a basisof commercial quantities.

The nature of the invention will be best understood and appreciated fromthe following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected forpurposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing togetherwith a somewhat diagrammatic representation of one form of mechanismsuitable for carrying out the process of the invention.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l; is a plan view of a counter blank,

Fig. 2 is a conventional view of associated skiving and crimpingmechanisms suitable for carrying out the process of my invention,

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a skived and crimped counter blank,and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a molded counter shown in positionupon a shoe conventionally indicated.

The molded counter of my invention is produced from a flat counter blank10, such as that shown in Fig. l, which may be died out from sheetleather board or other suitable composition in sheet form. The blankherein shown is provided with a small notch in its lower edge toindicate the center of the counter and with other notches in the sameedge which indicate the style or size of the counter or a point ofreference for a subsequent shoe-making operation.

It will be understood that the counter blank as originally produced isof substantially uniform thickness throughout and that it is necessaryfirst to reduce the thickness of its marginal edges about the entireperiphery of the blank in order that the finished counter may beincorporated in the shoe smoothly andwithoutJcreating ridges therein. InFig. 3 is illustrated a counter blank as it appears afterthe skivingoperation. A central elongate'd portion-1 2'only remains of thethickness of the original blank and the entire margin is reduced tosubstantially a feather edge by a long bevel cutfi The fiat skivedcounter blank may. ,now vbe crimped at its lower edge in an intermediatezone [4 which is spaced at either end a predetermined'and appreciabledistance "from the ends of the counter. The blank thus presents smooth,tapered end portions I6 lying entirely outside the crimped zone- M andwhich are to form the oppositely disposed forward ends of the moldedcounter. The present invention contemplates a counterblank crimped inthis manner by any suitable process although apreferredprocess ofcarrying out the crimping step will be presently described. V

-I-Iaving produced a skived and crimped counter blank of the charactershown in Fig. '3 themolding operation may'then be carried out with theassistance of any {suitable commercial counter molding machine ormachines. In the molding operation the counter blank is brought into thecharacteristic U shape with its sides smoothly curved bothlongitudinally and transversely and with its forward end portionsoppositely arranged in spaced relation. The'margin of the counter blankis molded inwardly forming an in-turned heel seat-flange 20 definedabout the rear portion of the counter by a sharp vertex line which isthe counterpart of the heel seat line of the shoe. 'In Fig. 4 thecompleted moldedcounter is shownin position upon or within a-shoeindicated conventionally in dot and dash lines, and it will be apparentthat the crimped zone in the flange 2-0 is confined to the heel seatportion of the counter and does not extend forwardly beyond the heelbreast line. The'two forward ends of the countermay, therefore, bemolded smoothly into conformity to the smoothlyicurved shank portion ofthe shoe, and this contributes in thefinished shoe to maintain thesmooth, fine lines of the last.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I will proceed to explain one form of mechanismwhereby the novel process of my invention may be satisfactorily carriedout. This mechanism includes a stationary table 3%, upon which ismounted a'magazine 35 for containing a'yrtical stack of counter blanksHi arranged in horizontal position. Successive counter blanks areremoved from the bottom of the magazine by a reciprocating feed slide 32which is actuated by mechanism partially shown in Fig. 2 but which needsno specific description.

At the left hand end of the table 30 is mounted the skiving mechanismwhich comprises a toothed'feed roll 33, a cooperating matrix roll 34 anda stationary straight edge splitting or skiving knife 35. The toothedfeed roll 33 is pressed yieldingly upwardly at all times in order toconform the counter blank to the matrix cavity of the roll 34 and thelatter is so shaped as to force those parts of the blank which are to bereduced in thickness partially below the line of the knife 35. Therelative location of the magazine and thematrix roll is predeterminedand the operation of, the feed slide 3| carefully timed with respect tothe matrix, so that each portion of the advancing blank is properlyacted upon by the matrix surface and the desired shape imparted to theblank. In OthGIflWOIdS, the position of the blank is carefully gaugedfor the skiving operation.

' As the skived counter blank l2 passes beyond the skiving knife 35, itis engaged by a pair of supplementary rolls 36 and 31 and advanced tothe crimping mechanism. This comprises a lower corrugated'roll '33mounted in fixed bearings,yand an upper corrugated roll 39 mounted uponbearings carried by a pair of pivoted arms 40; oneof whichis shown inFig.2. The arms 40 and the upper roll 39 are moved normally downwardlyby a strong tension spring 4! and both rolls are driven in acounterwisedirection by-mechanism-not shown. Associated with the lower'roll 38 is agauge roll 42 and associated with the upper corrugatedroll' 39 is arotary that the advancing end of the skived counter.

blank l2 reaches thecr'imping rolls while the upper roll is held bythecam 43 spaced from the lower roll and in inoperative position. The endof the counter is accordingly advanced-between the two corrugated rollswithout any crimping action until the drop in the cam 43 becomesoperative. When this occurs the uppercorrugated roll 39 is lowered andbecomesimmediately effective to'corrugate the lower edge of the blankas'its progress between the crimping rolls continues. The corrugatedzone 14 is thus produced and its length is determined by the length ofthe low concentric portion of the cam'*43. When the blank'has beenadvanced to the end of the corrugated zone, the cam 43 again lifts theupper crimping roll 39 and the remainder of the counter blank is runthrough without crimping.

It will be apparent that the mechanism above described makes availableone set of instrumen--' talities for skiving the margins of a counterblank and, while the blank is located or gauged as determined inaccordance with the skiving operation, crimping a predetermined zone ina selected portion of the counter. The operation of the mechanismisentirelyautomatic and may be carried out at high speed and with extremeaccuracy. 'The novel process'of my invention is, however, in no senselimited'in its practice to this or to any specific mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what'I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The process of making counters, which consists in skiving the marginsof a counter blank and, while the blank is located 'as determined inaccordance'with the skiving operation, crimping a predetermined zone inits lower edge.

2. The process of making counters, which consi'sts in skiving themargins of a counter blank and, whilethe blank is located as determinedin accordance with the skiving operation, crimping in its lower edge azone of predetermined length spaced from both ends of the counter.

3. The process of making counters, which consists in moving a counterblank endwise and skiving its margins, and then, in the same endwisemovement of the counter, crimping an intermediate portion of its loweredge in a location determined in accordance with the skiving operation.

4. The process of making counters, which consists in rolling a counterblank and skiving its margins, crimping a limited intermediate portionof its lower edge while the blank is located as determined in the priorskiving operation, and then molding the blank so that the crimpedportion of its edge is included in the inturned flange while the forwardends of the molded counter present smoothly curved surfaces.

5. The process of making counters, which includes the steps of moving acounter blank endwise first through skiving instrumentalities to skive apredetermined portion of the blank and then through crimpinginstrumentalities to crimp a lesser portion of the blank, maintainingcontinuous control of the blank, and limiting,

the action of the crimping instrumentalities to a portion only of thecounter blank which has been skived by the skiving instrumentalities.

6. The process of making counters, which includes the steps of moving acounter blank endwise and continuously through skiving instrumentalitiesto skive a predetermined portion thereof and then through crimpinginstrumentalities to crimp a lesser portion of the blank, maintainingcontinuous control of the blank, skiving one edge of the blank from endto end in its passage through the skiving instrumentalities, andlimiting the action of the crimping instrumentalities to perform acrimping operation on an intermediate portion only of the@ skived edgeof the blank.

CHARLES W. BAILEY.

